Central El Paso man sees Virgen de Guadalupe in backyard tree trunk

Tony Parga sees the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe in a knot in the trunk of a tree in his backyard. He has since adorned the area with flowers and has even held a Mass and dances to celebrate the image. (Mark Lambie/El Paso Times)

Tony Parga says the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe appeared in the trunk of a tree outside his home.

Tony Parga is convinced an apparition of the Virgen de Guadalupe dwells within the crevices of a mulberry tree in the backyard of his one-bedroom duplex in Central El Paso.

"I'm a great believer of the Virgen de Guadalupe, ever since I was a kid," Parga said. "I have her with me all the time."

Parga, 53, a garage door installer, was sitting outdoors on a bench playing with his dogs when he first noticed a reflection in the lower tree trunk almost two years ago.

"I don't know if it was meant for me or if it was there before I moved in (five years ago)," he said. "Maybe I just never paid attention to the tree."

Some people say they can clearly see the virgin's face, a crown, the hands clasped in prayer, and even a rosary.

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Ramón Rentería

Parga collects images of the Virgen de Guadalupe. He has a dozen throughout the duplex.

He once paid tribute to the image in the tree trunk with an outdoor Mass and matachine dancers. A devoted Catholic, Parga also showed pictures of the image to a priest.

"They don't intend to come down here, but he told me that it was going to bring me a lot of peace," Parga said. "And it already has. There's been a lot of changes in my life. You just gotta have faith."

Parga said he doesn't mind sharing the image with others.

Justin Martinez, a neighbor, has shot pictures of the virgin's image with a cellphone.

"A lot of people don't believe, but you can see it," Martinez said. "I don't think it's ever going to go away."